This moated site at Mooreabbey Demesne once formed part of a substantial rectangular enclosure, complete with a broad, water-filled fosse that would have served as both a status symbol and practical defence for its inhabitants. Historical evidence from a 1759 map of Monasterevin Demesne, drawn by Scale and now held in the National Library of Ireland, shows the site in its more complete form, revealing the impressive scope of what was likely a fortified homestead dating back centuries.

Today, visitors to this improved and level pasture will find only modest traces of this once-imposing structure. The surviving earthwork forms a low rectangle measuring roughly 31 metres north to south and 23 metres east to west, defined by gentle scarps that rise between 20 and 50 centimetres above the surrounding ground. The enclosing fosse that once provided protection has left no visible surface trace, filled in by centuries of agricultural use and natural processes.

These moated sites were characteristic features of Anglo-Norman settlement patterns in medieval Ireland, typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries. They served as defended farmsteads for colonising families, combining agricultural function with defensive capability. While this particular example may appear unremarkable to the casual observer, it represents an important piece of Kildare’s medieval landscape; a tangible link to the complex patterns of settlement, defence, and daily life that shaped this region during the Middle Ages.